Logic and critical thinking
A.A. 2018/2019
Obiettivi formativi
· Develop inferential and argumentative skills
· Learn to identify and reconstruct arguments
· Learn to evaluate arguments, distinguishing good from bad arguments (fallacies)
· Learn to use formal logic tools (elements of propositional and predicate logic) in order to evaluate deductive reasoning
· Learn to use informal logic tools (spec. inductive reasoning) in order to evaluate non deductive reasoning
· Learn to identify and analyse fallacies occurring in political discourse
· Learn to identify and reconstruct arguments
· Learn to evaluate arguments, distinguishing good from bad arguments (fallacies)
· Learn to use formal logic tools (elements of propositional and predicate logic) in order to evaluate deductive reasoning
· Learn to use informal logic tools (spec. inductive reasoning) in order to evaluate non deductive reasoning
· Learn to identify and analyse fallacies occurring in political discourse
Risultati apprendimento attesi
Non definiti
Periodo: Primo trimestre
Modalità di valutazione: Giudizio di approvazione
Giudizio di valutazione: superato/non superato
Corso singolo
Questo insegnamento non può essere seguito come corso singolo. Puoi trovare gli insegnamenti disponibili consultando il catalogo corsi singoli.
Programma e organizzazione didattica
Edizione unica
Periodo
Primo trimestre
STUDENTI FREQUENTANTI
Programma
1. Introduction
·What is Reasoning?
·What is Logic?
·What is Formal Logic?
·What is Critical Thinking?
·What is Informal Logic?
2. Language and arguments
·Language: convention and truth
·Syntax and semantics
·Linguistic acts, speech acts and conversational acts
·Conditional sentence vs. argument
·Reason markers and Conclusion markers
3. The form of arguments
·Procedural and Standard Form of the Argument
·Complex arguments
·Implicit premises and sub-arguments
4. Propositional logic
·Logical variables and logical principles
·Logical connectives
·Material implication (sufficient and necessary condition)
·Tautologies, contradictions and truth-functional contingent formulas
5. The validity of arguments
·Checking the validity of arguments by truth tables
·Checking the validity of arguments by refutation trees
6. Syllogistic logic
·Syllogistic form
·Checking the validity of syllogisms by Venn Diagrams
·Checking the validity of syllogisms by means of the rules of the opposition square
7. Argumentation theory
·Deductive arguments
·Non-deductive arguments
8. The theory of fallacies
·Formal fallacies
·Fallacies of vacuity
·Semantic fallacies
·Fallacies of sufficiency
·Fallacies of relevance
9. The political analysis of fallacies (Jeremy Bentham)
·Introduction (Introduction)
·The fallacy by authority (§ I.1)
· Vituperative personalities / ad hominem (§ II.1)
· Hobgoblin argument / ad metum (§ II.2)
· Fallacy of distrust / ad metum + bad consequences (§ II.3)
·What is Reasoning?
·What is Logic?
·What is Formal Logic?
·What is Critical Thinking?
·What is Informal Logic?
2. Language and arguments
·Language: convention and truth
·Syntax and semantics
·Linguistic acts, speech acts and conversational acts
·Conditional sentence vs. argument
·Reason markers and Conclusion markers
3. The form of arguments
·Procedural and Standard Form of the Argument
·Complex arguments
·Implicit premises and sub-arguments
4. Propositional logic
·Logical variables and logical principles
·Logical connectives
·Material implication (sufficient and necessary condition)
·Tautologies, contradictions and truth-functional contingent formulas
5. The validity of arguments
·Checking the validity of arguments by truth tables
·Checking the validity of arguments by refutation trees
6. Syllogistic logic
·Syllogistic form
·Checking the validity of syllogisms by Venn Diagrams
·Checking the validity of syllogisms by means of the rules of the opposition square
7. Argumentation theory
·Deductive arguments
·Non-deductive arguments
8. The theory of fallacies
·Formal fallacies
·Fallacies of vacuity
·Semantic fallacies
·Fallacies of sufficiency
·Fallacies of relevance
9. The political analysis of fallacies (Jeremy Bentham)
·Introduction (Introduction)
·The fallacy by authority (§ I.1)
· Vituperative personalities / ad hominem (§ II.1)
· Hobgoblin argument / ad metum (§ II.2)
· Fallacy of distrust / ad metum + bad consequences (§ II.3)
Propedeuticità
none
Prerequisiti
The final exam will be a multiple choice test (20 questions, 1.5 point for every correct answer, 0 for every unanswered question, -0.5 point for every wrong answer). The examination note will be "approved" or "not approved", but the teacher will assign a score to each paper, which the student will see in the results of the tests published on Ariel within a couple of weeks from the written examination.
Materiale di riferimento
STUDENTI NON FREQUENTANTI
Main textbook:
·Sinnott-Armstrong, W. and Fogelin, R.J., Understanding Arguments, Concise Edition. Cengage Advantage Books, 2015.
·Bentham, J. The Book of Fallacies: From Unfinished Papers of Jeremy Bentham. J. and HL Hunt, 1824. (see attached document).
·Glossary of the main arguments and fallacies (see attachment)
·Slides of the classes and corresponding exercises available on ARIEL.
Suggested readings :
·J. Nolt, D. Rohatyn & A. Varzi, Logic, Schaum's Outline Series, MacGraw Hill, 1998.
·Sinnott-Armstrong, W. and Fogelin, R.J., Understanding Arguments, Concise Edition. Cengage Advantage Books, 2015.
·Bentham, J. The Book of Fallacies: From Unfinished Papers of Jeremy Bentham. J. and HL Hunt, 1824. (see attached document).
·Glossary of the main arguments and fallacies (see attachment)
·Slides of the classes and corresponding exercises available on ARIEL.
Suggested readings :
·J. Nolt, D. Rohatyn & A. Varzi, Logic, Schaum's Outline Series, MacGraw Hill, 1998.
Programma
The program for students who cannot attend classes is the same as for students attending classes. It is strongly recommended to read the slides of the classes that are published here and to do the relative exercises.
Students are also invited to test themselves by means of the three exam simulations published on Ariel (corresponding respectively to the first part, the second part and the whole course). Simulations are passed if the students gets at least 18 points out of 30.
Students are also invited to test themselves by means of the three exam simulations published on Ariel (corresponding respectively to the first part, the second part and the whole course). Simulations are passed if the students gets at least 18 points out of 30.
M-FIL/02 - LOGICA E FILOSOFIA DELLA SCIENZA - CFU: 3
Lezioni: 20 ore
Docente:
Cantu' Paola